A lot can be said of this fellow Rockhound, an unassuming individual with a charismatic smile and an equally charming personality. Considered by many to be a local authority on just about any type of rock in Harney County and some of the surrounding counties as well. His favorite rock is anything knappable but I believe it really is Fire Obsidian. When speaking about Black Fire, as he refers to it; a smile settles over his face that equals the delight seen in a child’s face the first time he goes to the circus. A leading authority on how to find, select, and cab this fascinating obsidian, Emory will be the first to tell you how difficult it is to produce the finished product; whether it be a cabochon or arrowhead. I know from first hand experience how hard it is to find, about 1/3rd of the fire obsidian I dug produced any fire at all. Since the layer, which contains the fire, is micro thin, one slip on the grinding wheel and the stone is rendered useless. However, when cabbed properly, you will have a gem, which in my opinion will exceed the beauty of Black Opal any day.

When buying fire obsidian from the Coons, they will only sell rock, which is proven to have fire. It is better to purchase slabs or performs than to buy rough which has fire. This way you are assured of getting exactly what you are looking for. It may be more expensive but believe me you will be much happier and less frustrated by choosing this route! They will even include free practice stones for you to get the hang of the material before attempting to work a good stone.

Emory has been knapping since he was 5 years old, taught by his father Cecil, he has developed a unique style similar to the ancient Mayan Indians. Check out the eagle, which he has chosen for his store logo. That eagle is a whopping 8 inches tall and about 4 inches wide, notice how he has scooped out the head and neck from the center of the stone.

Emory has been chosen as an Instructor for the Canadian Junior Forest Wardens, The Umatilla Confederated Tribes, featured in the OPB segment “The Caveman at Glass Buttes”, as well as had several newspaper articles written about his skills

Dragon

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